@Google: Lawrence Lessig: Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress—and a Plan to Stop It

In an era when special interests funnel huge amounts of money into our government-driven by shifts in campaign-finance rules and brought to new levels by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission-trust in our government has reached an all-time low. More than ever before, Americans believe that money buys results in Congress, and that business interests wield control over our legislature.

With heartfelt urgency and a keen desire for righting wrongs, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig takes a clear-eyed look at how we arrived at this crisis: how fundamentally good people, with good intentions, have allowed our democracy to be co-opted by outside interests, and how this exploitation has become entrenched in the system. Rejecting simple labels and reductive logic-and instead using examples that resonate as powerfully on the Right as on the Left-Lessig seeks out the root causes of our situation. He plumbs the issues of campaign financing and corporate lobbying, revealing the human faces and follies that have allowed corruption to take such a foothold in our system. He puts the issues in terms that nonwonks can understand, using real-world analogies and real human stories. And ultimately he calls for widespread mobilization and a new Constitutional Convention, presenting achievable solutions for regaining control of our corrupted-but redeemable-representational system. In this way, Lessig plots a roadmap for returning our republic to its intended greatness.

While America may be divided, Lessig vividly champions the idea that we can succeed if we accept that corruption is our common enemy and that we must find a way to fight against it. In Republic, Lost, he not only makes this need palpable and clear-he gives us the practical and intellectual tools to do something about it.

• Category

  News & Politics

[gedgant1]

bwprag123...keep your cynical "oh please" to yourself. How can you dismiss this whole talk as "problems of liberalism on full display"...? This is not a left vs. right thing... This is fundamentally a question of whether "we the people" can unite and restore justice to our republic. If not...well we all deserve what will happen next.

[Rebecca Lehman]

I, personally love the intro, the analogy of how most are cutting the branches but none are cutting the root. I post this regularly, like once a month on my facebook page because I am hoping to wake people up to the fact that government is not out for the good of the people but for their own personal gain and we can never expect them to monitor or change themselves. I love his idea of how to go about the change but we need someone... some people who will rise up and demand this!

[TheEsotericZebra]

I love this guy, because he sounds reasonable and is coherent. Very nice, clear explanation of the issues :).

[hotpatata71]

You're crass, rude, and have nothing to contribute to this very important subject. Kindly stick to porn sites in the future.

[Josh Bare]

everyone in the fed is "ayn randian." it's quite obvious. why do you think the right loves this idea? they want everyone stupid, poor, hungry, sick, and dying - it's harder to fight back that way.

[Erik Blair]

Best talk I have ever seen in my life... about what's still going on today.

[yanikv]

This guy seems like a Google dicksucker.  All the Google praise made me about puke. For that, I say...fuck off. You sound like the congressman you speak negatively about when they happen to be in the presence of a campaign donor. Get off of your knees for a second, why dont ya.

[blc3z31]

best rated video ever

[headcrabzombie]

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." - Buckminster Filler

[Carlos Camacho]

Powerful speech. It is clear to me that there is one solution. People need to go to the Justice Party's website. Sign up to be a member. If your state doesn't have a chapter (YET), step forward and create it. When this new broad-base political party gets voted in, they will (a) get rid of this money-go-round (b) force the Dems and GOPs to listen to the people. Trying to change those parties from within won't get anywhere. Why would they want to be changed when they have a cozy duopoly.